A psychedelic performance from the Dutch singer-songwriter
Image: Nick Helderman

By Molly Chard
on Friday, September 25th, 2015

It’s a damn shame the crowd is lacking tonight at the Georgian Theatre, as Dutch singer-songwriter Jacco Gardner pays a rare visit to the North East. Despite the lack of attendees, the atmosphere in the venue is still electric.

High Tide 15:47 are first up; a slight lineup change still has the Newcastle outfit deliver a dreamy mish mash of all the best parts of shoegaze and dream pop; a perfect start to the night.

London quartet Younghusband serve as second support. Tracks from their upcoming album Dissolver show a ton of promise. It’s easy to pick up on where Younghusband draw influence from. Sometimes delving into the areas of Krautrock that are a tad easier on the ears, the group manage to deliver a spellbinding show. Latest single Better Times brings a melancholic yet hopeful end to the set. Younghusband are definitely a band to keep your eye on.

Gardner and his band take to the stage amidst hypnotic lights and visuals. Launching into their mystical music without much introduction, the act are mesmerising from the word go. A seemingly shy stage presence is made up for with vast soundscapes and narratives within the songs; his music is scarily easy to lose yourself in.

Personal highlight Clear The Air sees Gardner at his poppiest: clanking harpsichord, lovelorn lyrics, and a singalong chorus make for a song that perhaps should have been a set-ender. Gardner flits between playing acoustic guitar and synthesizer during his set. Find Yourself, an offering from latest album Hypnophobia still has elements of Gardner’s older, more baroque-esque pop but it’s clear that he’s delving deeper into psychedelia the second time around.

Ending with the sprawling Where Will You Go?, Gardner’s set is over far too quickly. Few negatives can be found about tonight’s show. The lucky few who witnessed this night of mesmerising music will most likely agree: you definitely had to be there.